Crawford DA determines state police troopers justified in shooting man during armed encounter
MEADVILLE — Two Pennsylvania State Police troopers who shot a Crawford County man while serving an arrest warrant at a Hayfield Township residence in late December were justified in their use of force, the Crawford County District Attorney's Office determined following a review of the investigation.
District Attorney Paula DiGiacomo made the finding after reviewing police reports, witness statements, audio and video recordings and photographs, state police investigators said in a news release issued on Thursday afternoon.
DiGiacomo declined to comment further on the matter Thursday afternoon, citing the ongoing investigation.
The man who was shot, whom authorities identified as Justin M. Burlingham, 22, was wounded at a residence in the 18000 block of Birch Drive in Hayfield Township, north of Meadville and west of Saegertown, on Dec. 26 at about 7:15 p.m.
State police reported after the shooting that Burlingham was holding a firearm when troopers encountered him at the residence while they were serving an arrest warrant.
Troopers wound man in Crawford County: State police troopers wound armed man in attempt to serve warrant in Crawford Sunday
Burlingham was taken to UPMC Hamot for treatment after the shooting. Authorities did not release details on the extent of his injuries.
The two state police troopers involved in the incident were not injured.
Burlingham was wanted at the time of the shooting on an arrest warrant on charges including misdemeanor counts of simple assault, terroristic threats, and reckless endangerment in a domestic incident that state police said occurred at the Birch Drive residence on Dec. 25.
Burlingham was arraigned on the charges on Dec. 29 and had bond set at $35,000, according to court records.
Burlingham is scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing in February.
Members of the state police Troop E Major Case Team investigated the shooting. The two troopers involved, who were not named, were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
An internal investigation into the troopers' actions is ongoing, according to state police.
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Police shootings: Crawford DA rules troopers justified in shooting man
